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Restricted opening of SH6 West Coast route from this
afternoon

The NZ Transport Agency says State Highway 6 between the Gates of Haast Bridge and Haast Pass Summit will open again at 2pm today, Friday 20 September.

The Transport Agency says the road will only be open during the daylight hours of 8am to 6pm for the foreseeable future.

A large slip at Diana Falls has kept the highway closed since 8pm on Tuesday, 10 September.

The Transport Agency’s West Coast Area Manager Mark Pinner, says today’s planned opening was dependent on the weather and about 15mm of rain fell in the area overnight, pushing the planned midday opening out by a couple of hours.

“We expect only one lane of the highway will be available for some time. Our on-going challenge with managing the site is that the slip face hasn’t settled completely. Today’s rain shows just how easily the slip can be reactivated.

Mr Pinner says we have to balance the needs of keeping the highway open for the communities and people who rely on it for access along with the need to ensure that everyone using SH6 can do so safely he said.

The latest Information on the status of this section the highway will be available at www.highwayinfo.govt.nz(external link), or by phoning 0800 444499. Roadside electronic signs at Fox Glacier and Lake Hawea will also have the latest on the availability of this section of highway.

The NZ Transport Agency works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport, state highways and local roads.